Introduction
The goat suffers with various diseases, which are caused by bacteria,
viruses, parasites and other non-infectious agents. The diagnosis of the
goat diseases not only based on the clinical symptoms is most difficult,
as many diseases resemble one another. The important clinical symptoms
of common diseases have been given, only to help the farmers to detect
the sick goat at the earliest stage. Treatment is not complete and many
drugs may cause toxicity, in cases of the serious disease problem of the
goat. The farmers may take some steps, as recommended, to prevent further
deterioration in the condition of the animal, until it is brought under
the supervision of a goat health specialist. It is observed that the seriousness
can be prevented or minimized if timely preventive health care has been
adopted in goat farming.

Common diseases of goats are explain as under:

Abortion
Mostly occur from 6-8 weeks of pregnancy, veterinary treatment is needed
to control infertility. This could occur due to drinking water containing
salmonella typhinmurium. Abortion can occur in a goat fed on rich clover
or trefoil.

Acetonemia
Is also called Ketosis. This metabolic imbalance caused due to goat fed
large quantities of concentrated food.

Anaemia
Anaemia covers groups of conditions characterized by paleness of skin
and membrane. Symptoms can be seen nictitating membrane of the eyes, mucous
membrane of the mouth, skin around the udder and valve. Treatment can
be done by the use of iron injection 5ml Dexavin (Pfizer) or Ferrofax
(Duphar).

Rinderpest
Clinical symptoms: There is mild thermal reaction and diarrhea. Ulcerative
lesions appeared on inside the lower tip and gums. Preventive care: Tissue
culture rinderpest vaccine S/C could be used in pocket of infection.

Anorexia
If it is a loss of appetite, it could be voluntary Anorexia or Pathological
Anorexia.

Arthritis
In goat kids it may be Navel infection arthritis caused by corynebacterium
pyogensis, streptococci, staphylococci, while non-superative arthritis
is by birth, caused due to deficiency of vitamins and minerals. In old
age, swollen joints from mycoplasmosis, occurs at 3-4 weeks of age.

Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
Clinical symptoms: Sudden high temperatures (108°F), loss of appetite,
sudden death, in less per acute form, goat may live for a day and develop
bloody diarrhea.

Preventive care: Keep the affected animal separate. Annual
vaccination of goats in endemic area is recommended. Massive doses of
penicillin 1/M may response in goat.

Bronchitis
This occurs due to lung worm infection or the feed place in drum, some
time goat gets irritation and bronchitis that can be controlled by dampening
the mixture with water or molasses water, this way dust in the feed will
be reduced. Chronic coughing also occurs in mycoplasmosis.

Brucellosis (Brucella organisms)
Clinical symptoms: Abortion in late pregnancy is the feature of the disease,
retention of placenta and metritis are common. In male goat, infertility,
orchitis and swollen joints are seen. Preventive care: Goats should be
tested for brucellosis and isolated or cull the positive animals.

Big-Head
This occurs when goat heavily infested with worm, pale of mucous membrane,
along with protruding nictating membrane and scouring, swollen head with
Jaundice is seen in lepto spirosis, but the mucous membrane Jaundice often
seen with yellow serum exudes from facial skin.

Bloat
This bloat occurs due to use of Lucerne hay, so goat becomes distressed,
stamps its feet, bleats, urinate frequently, walk with stilted action.
To prevent bloat, always use dry hay or dry pasture when ever feeding
fresh legumes. Goat feed should be prepared by the combination of dry
pasture with leaves of legumes. To avoid bloat, peanut oil sprinkled on
feed is always helpful.

Cystitis
Symptoms: It is an inflammation of urinary bladder, which show swelling
of value, staining of perineum, frequent straining with small amount of
urine, pus and blood in the urine, also show depression, anorexia and
excessive thirst. Treatment: With antibiotic plus use of 2 litre of warm
water 1 spoon of hibitane or Dettol.

Contagious Ecthyma
Clinical symptoms: Pustular and scabby lesions develop on the muzzle and
lips. Bronchopneumonia and gastroenteritis have been observed in goat
kids. Morbidity rate is very high 50-60%, but mortality rate may be 5%
in goat kids.

Preventive care: To check the spread, infected goat kids
should be isolated. The lesions should be treated with antiseptic drugs.
In generalized or systemic infection antibiotic should be given to prevent
secondary bacterial complication.

Collibacillosis/collisopticaemia (E. coli)
Clinical symptoms: Goat kids under one month of age are commonly affected.
Important symptoms are fever, diarrhea. or dysentery. Loss of appetite,
dryness of hair and skin coat in later stages temperature became subnormal.

Preventive care: Rectal swabs to have E. coli and sensitivity
test depending upon sensitivity, dose all newly born goat kids with a
specific antibiotic. Darzin with neomycin chloromycetin, Septran and quixalin
bolus etc., are commonly used.

Chlamydiosis
Clinical symptoms: Pneumonia, sometimes diarrhea. is present in goats.
The pregnant goats may also abort in early stage of gestation. In young
goat kids arthritis is developed. Preventive care: Treatment with penicillin
is effective.

Cheesy Gland (CL)
It also called yolk boils, its scientific name is Caseous lymphadenitis
is caused by the bacterium coryne and bacterium pseudotuberculosis. This
bacterium causes the abscesses are boils usually visible as swollen lumps
under the jaw or on the neck. In goats, the head is most commonly affected,
so the most likely point of entry of this infection is through abrasions
on the head or in the mouth. For treatment five different brands of cheesy-gland
vaccines are available: Glanvac, cheesyvax, cydectin, Eweguard, Guardian
and Websters 6-in-1.

Coccidiosis
Clinical symptoms: Diarrhea., anemia, weakness and death have seen in
coccidiosis of goat kids , in old animal milk production is reduced with
foetid smell, develops.

2 - Labial and interdigital dermatitis: This developed after eating
plants like, nettles, ragwort azaleas or may be due to Tromboild species
mites attacks. Lanoline and petroleum jelly helps, in case of mites
Malathion 0.5% spray will help.

3 - Pustular dermatitis: This occurs on the teats and udder so udder
covered with pus-filled eruption of staphylococcus aureus, it is treated
by Phisohex which will break the pustules, clean with dettol, also Betamethasone
cream helps to heal the damage skin.

4 - Allergic dermatitis: This happen due to mosquito or wasps bites
to the skin area like udder and vulva. Treatment with protective cream
application.

1 - Blepharitis: In this case inflammation of the eye lids have seen
, with continual ocular discharge, eye should be washed with sodium
sulphacetamid 2% solution, twice a day. Blepharitis occur with entropion,
that is a hereditary defect, it can be cured by survey.

2 - Conjunctivitis: This situation occur due to foreign body like
seeds, grass, thorns touch the cornea, which become swollen and reddish.
This can easily be cure by washing the eye with normal saline solution
(1 level teaspoon of salt plus 600ml of worm water).

3 - Pink-eye. Is a contagious opthalmia, animals affected by mycoplasmosis,
then ocular discharge also be seen. First eyes are washed with saline
water, then treatment with 2% sodium sulphacetamide or Terramycin aerosol
drops used in large herds. Individual animal is given Gentamycin drops,
2 drops twice a day.

Dysentery
This show presence of blood diarrhea., it may be a symptom of enterotoxaemia
coccidiosis and some plant poisoning.

Enterotoxaemia
Is caused by toxin of clostridium perfringens type D.

Clinical symptoms: Severe pain in the abdominal region,
excitement, kids jump in the air and fell down, and sudden death is there.

Preventive care: Kids of 3 months are should be vaccinated
with 2.5 ml vaccine S/C and repeated after 14 days. Annual vaccination
is required or sulphaguanidine tablets, 2-3 hours, total 30 tablets, plus
5ml chlorodyne for a hours.

Foot and Mouth Diseases Virus (O, A, C and Asia one
type).
Clinical symptoms: This disease have shown mild effect in adult goats.
Vesicles on the tongue, lips, checks, gums, dental pad and on the skin
between claws, occasional blisters on teats and under. Lameness is also
seen in adult goats, Deaths have been observed in young goat kids.

Preventive care: Isolate the sick goats and vaccinate
the herd at the face of outbreak. Wash the mouth of infected goat with
mild disinfectants like Alum, Potassium permanganate. Apply boroglycerine
on the ulcers.

Foot rot in goat
Foot rot is a contagious disease, caused by a mix of different bacteria
with the essential one being Dichelobacter nodosus. There are two main
forms of foot rot - virulent and benign, they are caused by different
strains of the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus. The bacterial infection
cause varying degree of damage to the horn of the foot, leading to lameness
and significant loss of body weight. The foot rot disease are two types,
benign and virulent. Both have been started as inflammations seen as moisture,
reddening and loss of hair between the toes. This disease is checked by
the gelatin gel test (protease) measure the activity of enzyme protease,
which are help to destroy the soft horn and tissue of the hoof.

Treatment: Cythion at monthly interval or whenever needed.
Seven dust 5% is also used for lice.

Goat Pox
Clinical symptoms: Slight fever, congested area and vesicles, appear on
ear, nose and udder. After vesicles containing pus, dry crust are formed.
In goat kids, high temperature is seen , but death occurs before development
of skin lesions.

Preventive care: Isolate the sick goat and daily washing
the lesions with hydrogen peroxide dilute with equal part of warm water
followed by antibiotic cream. Milkers hand scrubbed in non-irritant antiseptic
solution.

Preventive care: Vaccination with H.S. Adjuvant vaccine
is recommended before onset of rains.

Heat stress
In Sindh normal temperature in the day during summer month reach up-to
55°C, while goat normal temperature is 39-40°C. The high heat stress cause
stroke and death of animal.

Hypocalcaemia
This also called ‘milk fever’, this occur the day following kidding, affected
goats are unable to stand, breath slowly with force, fall into comma,
may die ,unless treated with injection of calcium barogluconate with magnesium
sulphate -60ml has to be given to the goat.

Hoof trimming
It is necessary, otherwise hooves grow to any shape, which brings extra
pressure on leg ligaments and tendons which cause pain and distortion.
This cause difficulty in walking, if the portion of hooves curled, then
outer horn may accumulate mud and dung, which results into putrification
and foot-rot. Always maintain correct proportion of toe to heel on the
ground. This varies in the front and hind feet. Hooves should be trimmed
every 3 months.

Preventive care: Blood is bright red in colour, Sodium
thiosulphate 2 gm in 15 ml of water s/cut and sodium nitrite 1 gm are
to be given.

Indigestion
It could be occur due to eating of azaleas, mangrove in flowers and fodder
sprayed with insecticides. The indigestion result into loss of appetite,
excrete flinty or small dropping, goat became lethargic. This need Epson
salts like 120g, 80g, 60g and 30g on successive days. Heavy doze of magnesium
carbonate 30g daily or Mylata 120g, three times a day used to neutralise
excessive fermentation. New and fresh food should be given along with
a mineral tonics like Ferri -Phos- Co (Parrishes food), and Metatone (Park
Davis) 30ml twice a day to restore appetite. Clove tea (use 12 cloves
in 500ml of water, boil for 10 times, when cool divide into three parts)
use as 3 times a day help to restore appetite.

Johne’s Disease (M. Paratuberculosis)
Clinical symptoms: The symptoms are goats show loss of body weight, weakness
and emaciation. Frequent diarrhea. in some adult goats also be reported
. The clinical disease observed after 1-2 years of age in goats.

Preventive care: Consultant the goat health specialist
for testing of your goats. Segregate and cull the positive goat. There
is no reliable test to detect J. D. in very initial stages.

Insecticides (Aldrin, Endrin Chlordane and Dieldrin)
Clinical symptoms: Uneasiness, dizziness and tremors, convulsions. Death
occurs due to respiratory arrest during coma are the important symptoms.

Preventive care: A saline purgative may be given. To control
convulsion Phenobarbital or largactil may be given. Calcium gluconate
10% may be given 1/V followed by antidote.

Mycoplasmosis (M. agalactiae, M. capri, M. capricollum)
Clinical symptoms: The goat develops high rise in temperature along with
respiratory trouble. In some cases arthritis, mastitis in lactating goats
have been reported...

Preventive care: Treatment of affected goats with tylosin
or erythromycin was found to be effective in early stage. Oxtetracyclin
was also effective in reducing severity of disease.

Preventive care: After washing with KMnO4 solution, this
solution, remove the milk carefully from the affected quarter. Introduce
antibiotic 1/mammary infusion, leave for 24 hours and repeat for 3 days.
But goat should be tested regularly to detect sub-clinical mastitis.

Mastitis
It is an inflammation of udder tissues it divided into acute infection,
chronic infectious and miscellaneous causes.

Acute infection: Udder become swollen, hot, tense, milk
become watery or blood-stained, may contain clots or pus. Antibiotic injection
is used to cure the situation.

Chronic infection: The systems are milk become sours soon,
curdles, unpleasant, it need Rapid - Mastitis Test, it need treatment
of terramycin, orbenin L/A or aureomycin, avoid to use chlora mpehnical
because it reduces the milk production.

Meliodosis
Is caused by bacterium Pseudomonas pseudomallei (Malleomyces pseudomallei),
found is soil and surface water, it effects goat through ingestion, cut
or wounds, biting insects, this bacterium infects lungs, spleen, lymph
nodes and then legs. This disease is diagnose by serological blood test.
The only cure is slaughter the animal.

Metritis
Occurs after kidding or after false pregnancy. Symptoms are unusual discharge
from vagina with less of appetite. Cured by sulphanilamide by mouth, sulphamezathine,
sulphapyridine or sulphanidine tablets 2g twice a day for 4-5 days.

Two types of lice are common in goat biting lice (Damalinia
Caprae and Damalinia-limbata) and sucking lice (Linognathus stenopis).
In both cases goat rub herself against fences, walls and trees. treated
by use of Malathion or Diazinon or pouring of 5-10 ml of Tiguvon (an oil
based insecticide).

Parasitic winter diarrhea. (Paramphistomiasis)
Clinical symptoms: Occurs from October to March, loose to watery diarrhea.,
bottle jaw condition in advance, clinical cases are the main features.

Preventive care: the disease is caused by immature stages.
Postmortem of the affected animal is necessary for diagnosis. Zanil @
10-15 mg/kg and Nilzan 10-15 mg/kg body weight are very effective.

Parasitic - worm infestation
These are divided into four groups, parasites of true or fourth stomach,
parasites of small intestine, parasites of blind gut (Caecum) and parasites
of large intestine. Treatment by the use of broad spectrum anthelmintics.

Rinderpest
Clinical symptoms: There is mild thermal reaction and diarrhea. Ulcerative
lesions appeared on inside the lower lip and on the gums.

Preventive care: Tissue culture rinderpest vaccine S/C
could be used in pocket of infection.

Rabies
Clinical symptoms: The disease develops usually after 20-60 days of bite,
but not less than 10 days of bite. The goat becomes strange in behaviour
and there is frothing and salivation. The goat does not eat or drink,
slowly becomes paralysed and dies within 10 days of onset of disease.

Preventive care: After clipping hair and scrubbing with
water and soap, apply acid salicylic or benzoic acid ointment 2.5% or
tincture of iodine once daily till lesions heal or zephirin.

Salmonella infection (Salmonellosis)
Happen due to the use of contaminated drinking water, results into loss
of weight and milk production.

Scabby mouth
It is viral disease, highly infectious, this virus is from pox family
is symptoms are scabby-pustular sores on the muzzle, tips and feet is
also called labial dermatitis symptoms occur 38-40 hours after contact,
it follows some minor injury caused by grass seeds or thistles, Lips infected,
there is soreness between the toes, sores around the scrotum, eye, ears
and valva. The only treatment is vaccination.

Tympany/Blost (Acidosis due to green fodder concentrate
rich in carbohydrate such as Rice, Wheat, Gwar etc.)
Clinical symptoms: Inappetance, dullness depression, increase pulse and
respiration rate are seen. Distended abdomen on left side due to dilated
rumen (tight as drum). Froth comes from mouth , animal became restless,
repeated lying down and die in short period.

Preventive care: Drench carefully 28 gm soda in 284 ml
of hot water. A cup of mineral oil may also relieve the condition. In
acute case removal of gas with thick needle is needed.

Preventive care: Vinegar or 2% acetic acid is to be given
orally in repeated doses.

Verminous Pneumonia (Dictyocaulus filaria)
Clinical symptoms: Respiratory trouble with persistent or severe coughing.
There is usually a discharge from eye and nostrils.

Preventive care: Vaccination is commonly used against
D. filaria. Dictyciden and Diethylcarbamazine are effective.

Warts
They occours frequently, can be found in udder, scrotum, lips, face, ear,
legs and coronet. The warts can be of many sizes from small to large sizes.
If goats have warts on teats, then during milking blood may contaminate
the milk. This have been treated by salicylic acid and acetic acid ointments.

Conclusion
The purpose of this paper is that farmer can check few visible symptom
and, first-aid which not only prevent the further deterioration of the
health of the goat, but it save the life. The farmer should be under stand
the complication of disease, and reach to the specialist or health worker
as early as possible. In case of danger of spreading contigeous diseases
in the herd, immediately, time action of seeking the advice of health
specialist can save the greater economic losses.